Getting the word out: Scharrenberg family fighting for ‘our girl’

When St. Francis visits Valley Christian on Friday night, players from both football teams will wear stickers on their helmets to honor Jennifer Lynn Kranz.

Jennifer, who just turned 6, is part of the Scharrenberg family — the niece of St. Francis defensive coordinator Matt Scharrenberg and coach Greg Calcagno and Valley Christian defensive coordinator Eric Scharrenberg.

Before Friday’s game, Jennifer is expected to stand on the field with her uncles during pregame festivities.

Jennifer’s story is heartbreaking.

On her birthday last week, she was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma. The oldest of four siblings, Jennifer has what her aunt, Ann Scharrenberg Calcagno, described as an incurable and inoperable brain tumor.

I first learned about Jennifer’s story this morning when I received an email from Ann.

Ann sent the email hoping to make the public aware of Jennifer’s story and steer people to the website (www.love4JLK.org) the family set up for “our girl,” as Ann put it. The family is hoping to raise money to provide Jennifer with the best care possible.

I spent time on the website today, reading about Jennifer and viewing pictures.

Her mother’s words in this passage on the site are heartwarming.

Jennifer Lynn Kranz was born on October 28, 2007 at 4:38pm. She weighed 7lb 8oz and was 19.5 inches long. It was a long road to find her filled with miscarriages, IVF and failed adoptions. But I was the first to hold her and got to cut the cord. As Jennifer says, “It was the day we went from being Tony and Libby to Mommy and Daddy.” She is our dream come true and the greatest gift we have ever been given.

“I didn’t give her the gift of life, rather life gave me the gift of her.”

According to Ann, Jennifer was perfectly fine until a family member noticed in October that she looked as if one of her eyes was turning in — like a lazy eye. Jennifer went through tests until being diagnosed with DIPG at Packard Children’s Hospital in Palo Alto.

Jennifer has a lot of family in the West Catholic Athletic League community. including her uncle, Will, the athletic director at Archbishop Mitty, and cousin, Trenton, Mitty’s quarterback.

“We, as a family, are going to give Jennifer everything that we have,” Ann said.